Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Netherlands
Netherlands: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 47.7% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Netherlands, 2013–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Netherlands recorded 47.7% for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Netherlands peaked at 48.9% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 47.7%, in 2021.
Netherlands ranks 58th of 149 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 48.5% | — |
| 2014 | 48.7% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 48.7% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 48.9% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 48.9% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 48.9% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 48.2% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 47.7% | -1.0% |
Netherlands compared with similar countries
- Netherlands's 47.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 43.0%, 1.1× the median. (61 countries reporting)
- Netherlands's 47.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 43.4%, 1.1× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 48.8% | 48.5% | 48.9% | 6 |
| 2020s | 48.0% | 47.7% | 48.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
- 55 Lao People's Democratic Republic 47.9% compare
- 56 Hungary 47.9% compare
- 57 Syrian Arab Republic 47.8%
- 59 Switzerland 47.7% compare
- 60 Luxembourg 47.5% compare
- 61 Portugal 47.4% compare
More education data for Netherlands
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 118,472 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 23,856 (1985)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 247,743 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 240,049 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.61 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.14 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.0937 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.064 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Netherlands?
- Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Netherlands was 47.7% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 48.9% in 2018.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.7% in 2021.
- How does Netherlands rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- Netherlands ranks 58th out of 149 countries with data for 2021.
- Is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Netherlands data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release